Safety apparatus for railway-traffic-controlling devices



4, 4 l Y O M E C.

May 13 1924.

SAFETY APPARTUSA FOR RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheetl AFiled April 18 lNvENToR:

BY l zw Mln. ATTORNEY 2 sheets-'sneu 2 c. E. MccoY SAFETY APPARATUS FORRAILWAY TRAFFIC coNTnoLLIG DEVICES Filed April 18.

May 13 1924.

INVENTOR t Ma ATTORNEY rPatented May 13, 1924.

UNTED STATS CHARLES E. MCCO'Y, 0F WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA7 ASSIGNOR TOTHE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, F SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ACORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY-TRAFFIC-CONTROLLING DEVICES.

Application led April 18, 1922. Serial'No. 554,980.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. MCCOY, a citizen of the United States,residing at lVilkinsburg, in thc county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSafety Apparatus for Railway-Traiic-Controlling Devices, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to railway trafiic controlling devices, such forexample as switches and signals, and particularly to devices of thiskind which are operated by power in a suitable form, such as electricityor fluid pressure.

As is well understood, it is sometimes necessary to operate devices ofthis kind by hand, usually through the medium of a crank applied to agear in the actuating mechanism of the device, and one object of myinvention is the provision of means for preventing the application ofthe operating power to the device during manual operation.

I will describe one form of apparatus embodying my invention, and willthen point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of circuitsfor the control of an electrically operated railway switch, including acircuit controller K for opening the circuits which supply current tothe operating motor M. Fig. 2 is a top 85 plan view showing a portion ofthe mechanism for moving the railway switch A of Fig. 1 including oneform of apparatus for governing the circuit controller K embodying myinvention. Fig. 3 is a side e0 elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig.2 for governing the circuit controller K.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of theseveral views.

Referring rst to Fig. 1, the reference character A designates a railwayswitch the movable points of which are shifted by means of an electricmotor M through the medium of an operating mechanism B. The supply ofcurrent from a transmission line 10 or other suitable source to motor Mis governed by contacts 34 of a circuit controlling device C, and thedevice C is in turn governed by contacts 35 operated by a lever L whichis usually, though not necessarily, one of a plurality of similar leversin an mterlocking machine. The circuits for the control of motor M maybe of any desired type, and inasmuch as these circuits form no part ofmy present invention it 1s not necessary to explain them in detailherein, it being sufficient to oint out that they include a circuitcontro ler K which, when open, prevents the supply of current from thesource 10 to the motor M, regardless of the position of the mechanism B,device C and lever L.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, the reference character 11 designates aportion of a case or box which encloses the operating motor M and theoperating mechanism B. The operating mechanism includes a gear wheel 12which is fixed on a shaft 13, and this shaft is provided with a squaredend 13a adapted to receive a suitable crank by which the mechanism B,and consequently the switch A, may be operated by hand when required.The shaft 13 projects through a hole 14 in the case 11, whereby thecrank may readily be applied, and the hole 14 is closed by a cover 15when the hand crank is not in use. The cover 15 is attached to a metalstrap 16, one end of which is pivotally attached to the case 11 at apoint not shown in the drawings, and the other end of which is providedwith an eye 1ba fitting over an apertured ear. 18 on the case 11 so thatthe cover can be locked in closed position by the application of a padlock to the aperture in the ear 18. v

Interposed between the cover 15 and the circuit controller K isapparatus for opening the circuit controller when the cover is removedfrom its position over the hole 14. This mechanism is as follows:

The circuit controllerK comprises two contact lingers 19 and 20, both ofwhich lare mounted in a block 21 of insulating material attached to apartition 11a of the case 11. Attached to the upper end of nger 19 is ayoke 30 which carries two spaced blocks 22 of insulating material. on apin 23 passing through these blocks is a rod 24 which extends to a pointnear the cover 15. Surrounding a portion of the rod 24 is a spring 25,one end of which abuts against an angular bar 26 attached to the wall11, while the other end of the spring abuts against a collar 27 fixed tothe rod' Pivotally mounted' It will be seen, therefore, that owing tcthe action of spring 25 the contact linger 19 is biased to a right-handposition, and when in this position contact K is open.

The right-hand end of rod 24 coacts with a plate 28 which is mounted ona spring member 23, and which latter in turn is attached to a block 29supported by the outer wall 11 of the motor casing. The lower end ofplate 28, as viewed in Fig= 2, is bent outwardly at 28b and proJectsinto such position as to engage the cover 115 when the latter is inplace over the hole i4.

The parts of the apparatus thus far described are so arranged andproportioned that when the cover 15 is in position over the hole 14:, itpushes the plate 28 to the left, thereby in turn pushing rod 24 andfinger 19 to the left to close contact K in opposition to the force or bias exerted on this contact by the coiled spring 25. When the cover 15is removed from' the hole, however, plate 28 moves to the right underthe influence of spring 25, so that contact K is opened. When the coveris restored to its closing dposition, contact K, of course, is againclose In the structure shown 1n the drawings I have provided a latch 31for keeping the contact K open after it has once opened due to removalof the cover 15 until it is restored to the closed position by manualaction. This latch 31 passes thro-ugh a slot 19a in contact finger 19and a slot 2 0a in finger 20. The latch is provided with a dog 31b whichabuts against finger 19 and with a dog 31a which coacts with nger 20.The latch is held in place by a cotter pin 33 which passes through thelatch and engages with finger 19 on the side of this iinger op-- positeto dog 31". The slot 20a in finger .20 is long enough to permit thelatch to rise so that the dog 31a will pass through the slot. The latch31 is biased downwardly by a spring 32.

The operation of this latching device is as follows:

Normally the latch 31 occupies the position in which it is shown in Fig.3, so that contact K is closed. 1When contact K is opened, due toremoval of cover 15, the latch 31 is carried to the right by contactnger 19 and is pressed downwardly by spring 32, so that the dog 31apasses thrcugh slot 20l in finger 20 and latches against the right-handface of this finger. When the cover 15 is restored, contact finger 19 isshifted to the' left, but the dog 31? on latch 31 then shifts contactulinger 20 also to the left, so that contact K remains open. In order toclose this contact it is necessary for the maintainer or otherauthorized person te remove the cover from the motor casing and lift theleft-hand end of latch 31 by hand.

In some instances it may not be desirable to provide the latch 31, andso I have constructed this latch in such manner that it may readily beapplied or 'removed from the contact. To remove the latch it is onlynecessary to take out the cotter pin 33-and pull the latch to the leftthrough the slots in the contact fingers. With the latch removed contactK will, of coul-se, open when the cover 15 is removed, and will closewhen the cover is returned to its closing position.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of safetyapparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changesand modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appendedclaims without departing fromthe spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a railway traiiic governing device, a motor,mechanism interposed between said motor and said device for moving thedevice, said mechanism having a part adapted to receive a crank wherebysaid device may be moved by hand, a member normally in position toprevent application of such crank to said mechanism and movable toanother position wherein itpermits application of the crank, apparatitscontrolled by said member for preventing the supply of operating energyto said motor when the member is in such position as to admit the crank,and manually releasable means for preventing restoration of energy tosaid motor after said member is returned to normal position.

2. In combinaticn, a railway trafc governing device, a motor, mechanisminterposed between said motor and said device for moving the device,said mechanism having a part adapted to receive a crank whereby saiddevice may be moved by hand, a member normally in position to preventapplication of such crank to said operating mechanism and movable toanother position wherein it admits the crank, a contact controlled bysaid member and opened when the memberi is moved to crank admittingposition, manually ieleasaole means for holding said contact open aftersaid member is returned to its normal osition, and an operating circuitfor said) motor controlled by said contact.

3. In combination, a railway traffic governing device, a motor,mechanism interposed between said motor and said device for moving thedevice, said mechanism having a part adapted to receive a crank wherebysaid device may be moved by hand, a member normally in position toprevent application of such crank to said operating mechanism andmovable to another pesition wherein it admits the crank, a contactcomprising two fingers biased to such relative positions that they donot engage, means controlled by said member when in normal position formoving said ingers to engaging position, a pawl removably attached toone of said fingers for preventing mutual engagement of said fingerswhen they have been disengaged by removal of said member, and anoperating circuit for said motor controlled by said contact.

4. In combination, a railway traic governing device, a motor, mechanisminter posed between said motor and said device for moving 'the device,said mechanism having a part adapted to receive a crank where-A by saiddevice may be moved by hand, av

member normally in position to prevent application of such crank to saidoperating mechanism and movable to another position wherein it admitsthe crank, a contact controlled by said' member and opened when themember is moved to crank-admitting position, readily removable manuallyreleasable means ,for keeping said contact open after said member isreturned to normal position, and an operating circuit for said motorcontrolled by said contact.

In testimony whereof I airix my signature.

CHARLES E. MCCOY.

